*By: ‘dayo Adedayo*
This is not just a Yoruba proverb, it is the living truth of my journey.
This is an ode to a man whose influence radiates far beyond titles and whose humanity speaks louder than any headline, Otunba Bamidele Ojutelegan Momodu, affectionately known to all as Bob D.
A man of the people. A bridge between worlds. A cultural colossus who, without wielding a camera, shaped the face of modern Nigerian photography through the global platform he built: Ovation International Magazine.
We met in 2002 at a wedding in Wandsworth, London, where I was the official photographer for the Popoola family. What seemed like an ordinary assignment turned into an extraordinary encounter.
Long before that day, I had dreamt of freelancing for Ovation. In the early 2000s, Ovation was not just a magazine, it was our social media before social media. A glamorous, trailblazing publication that gave African success a glossy face and a global voice. The only thing close was Hello! magazine, but this was ours, unapologetically African and gloriously bold.
The names that lit up the masthead then were legends in their own right: Dragan Mikki, Ajayi Oyebo , and Bodise Wilson. Later came Banke Ibrahim Alayaki , Tope Brown, and Isaac Adegbite. But it is impossible to tell the story of Ovation’s heart and voice without mentioning Michael Effiong James the long-time editor of the magazine. A man of deep wisdom, quiet strength, and endless kindness. His kindness has never waned, and he deserves his own flowers.
That fateful day in Wandsworth, Bob D was deeply impressed, not just by my photographs, but by the gear I used. I was working with a Mamiya RZ67, a medium-format, fully manual camera that weighed over 15kg with all its accessories. Most had never seen one, let alone seen it in use. Then I handed him my business card, a photographic masterpiece in itself. He looked at me with the kind of respect that said, “You’re not just a photographer, you are an artist.”
What he didn’t know then was that I had been quietly lobbying Captain Rotimi Seriki, elder brother to my childhood friend Akinlami Seriki, to help introduce me to Bob D. As fate would have it, they met that same weekend, and as they chatted, Bob D told him: “’dayo needs no introduction, we’ve met, and the boy is more than good.” Destiny doesn’t knock twice. That weekend, mine walked through the door.
But here’s the part many don’t know: I had lived in the UK for sixteen years as an undocumented immigrant. I never broke the law, never married for papers. I believed in time. In destiny. And just two weeks after I received my Indefinite Stay, I met Bob D. Call it coincidence, but I know better. That was divine orchestration.
From that point on, my passport became my canvas, five passports in just two years, filled with stamps, visas, and stories from every corner of the globe. Thanks to Bob D and Ovation International Magazine, my camera became a diplomatic pass, and the world my open-air studio.
From the bright lights of Manhattan, where skyscrapers kiss the clouds, to the souks of Dubai, humming with spice and gold. From the cobbled piazzas of Italy, where every stone tells a story, to the serene fjords of Norway, where nature whispers to the soul. From the charming streets of Holland, the medieval towns of Belgium, and the elegance of Milan, to the historic corridors of Rome, the experience was a dream unfolding one frame at a time.
I walked through New Jersey’s bustling neighborhoods, captured the soul of Atlanta, and experienced the multicultural vibrance of Houston, where languages blend like colours on a canvas.
In all, Ovation took me to 39 countries, many of them multiple times. I became so frequent at some airports, immigration officers began to recognize my name, and often questioned how I traveled so often in first or business class. That was Bob D: if you’re working with the best, you must look the part.
One of the most unforgettable assignments of my career came when I was sent to Barcelona to photograph Patrick Kluivert, the legendary Dutch striker with the BBC reporter Osasu Obayiuwana.
This wasn’t from the stands or a press room, I was on the field, photographing him live during a training session with his teammates at FC Barcelona. After the session, I was granted full access to shoot Camp Nou stadium, from the pitch to the stands, the players’ tunnel, and the FC Barcelona Museum, where trophies gleam like history cast in gold. It was magical.
Later, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I was stopped, again, for my frequent travels. As they combed through my portfolio, one guard paused at the portrait of Kluivert. Then another came over. Soon, they were pointing, smiling, and asking for autographs. What started as suspicion turned into celebration. In that moment, I wasn’t just a Nigerian photographer, I was a global storyteller, representing a continent with class.
Another proud moment came in 2003, when I was privileged to photograph the late Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Nigeria for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Ovation International was the official magazine to the British High Commission, and I was honoured to cover the whole ceremony and at the private dinner at the High Commissioner’s residence in Abuja, I met and photographed some of Nigeria’s finest dignitaries in an intimate setting.
Bob D opened the world to me. But more than that, he taught me humility. He insisted I start appearing in photos with the legends I photographed. I was too shy, too modest. I always preferred to hide behind the lens. Only recently have I embraced his advice, and oh, what an archive it would’ve been if I’d started earlier.
Bob D treats everyone the same, whether you are a street hawker or a president. That grace is rare. That reach is his real wealth. Like his mentor, Chief MKO Abiola, Bob D understands the power of people. His currency is kindness, and his wealth is in the millions of lives he has touched.
Even though we sit on different sides of the political aisle, he has never let it come between us. That’s maturity. That’s friendship.
As he turns 65, my prayer is this:
May your children surpass you in greatness.
May Madam, your pillar, enjoy more of your presence and peace.
May you live long, laugh loud, and walk strong in the love of those you’ve lifted.
May the good you’ve done, known and unknown, rise up for you in old age.
You’ve changed the trajectory of so many lives, including mine.
You took an unknown Nigerian boy, whose parents are from Okeliwo, Ijebu Ife, a proud son of the Ijebu East Local Government of Ogun State, whose dreams once echoed quietly through red earth and rustling palms, and you handed him the world.
Because of you, the name Okeliwo now rings in boardrooms, airports, galleries, and grand halls across continents.
You didn’t just change my story, you made generations from my village lift their heads higher. And for that, Bob D, history will remember you not just as a media mogul, but as a destiny midwife.
Thank you, Bob D.
You are, and will forever remain, an enigma.
With eternal gratitude, fro
